The Early Development -- 1923 to 1954 EC.
by: Ato Dagnaw Gebru

A year following his coronation in 1923 Ethiopian Calendar (EC), His imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I founded Medhane Alem School, situated in the north western part of Addis Ababa. It was the fourth modern school after Menilik, Teferi Makonnen and Empress Mennen School for Girls. It opened its doors as boarding school, significantly on Emperor's first coronation anniversary, on Tikimt 27 1924 EC (October 17 1931) for 85 orphans to pursue academic and vocational training mainly in shoe making and furniture production. The then famous architect, Lig Haile mariam Gezmu, was named the principal of the school. There were five Ethiopian, four French teachers and a large contingent of auxiliary staff.

Two Years later beginning September 1926 EC it shouldered additional responsibility of training Boy Scouts bringing up the number of the students to 365. Prince Makonnen Haile Selassie was the Patron of this additional special group of young people. When Italy came to invade Ethiopia , in 1928 EC the Boy Scouts of Medhane Alem School accompanied the Emperor to the War Front and served creditably. The School was closed following the Italian invasion and remained thus for the five years that Ethiopia was occupied.

Medhane Alem School at Morning Assembly (any morning in the year1957 EC)

Medhane Alem School was reopened in 1934 following Liberation but this time it was for the sons of the nobles from various parts of Ethiopia mainly from the East and the south. Its name was also changed to Balabat School (School of the Nobles). Owing to the unpopularity of the name, Balabat was dropped a year later reverting back to Medhane Alem School and remained so from 1935 to date. After Liberation the school's objectives changed to regular academic elementary school curriculum of grades 1 to 8 for young people of varying ages. Owing to those older boys who missed going to school because of the occupation, one could find boys of 5 to 25 learning side by side.

In 1946 EC the standard was upgraded to included secondary education. However for unknown reasons it reverted back to only elementary school shipping off the boys of the secondary school sections to Teferi Makonnen and General Wingate Schools .

In 1949 EC its standard was upgraded again to include 9-12 grades of the secondary School. Moreover, the number of the students grew from insignificant 500 boys in 1945 EC to over 1500 by the end of the 40s EC.

School personnel particularly teachers were hard to come by following the Liberation in 1935 EC. Thus owing to the scarcity of educated Ethiopians, quiet a good number of them having been massacred by the Italians, teachers and school administrators had to be imported. The few available Ethiopians were engaged in running the Government. Thus education meaning, western style schools were managed by foreigners. Medhane Alem like all other schools throughout the empire had teachers and Administrators from many different countries. The Countries of the nationalities of those who taught and administered in Medhane Alem School were Australia , Britain , France , India , South Africa , Sudan , and the USA . Gradually and slowly, however, Ethiopians educated abroad and graduating locally from the Haile Selassie University at home started to trickle down to the schools both as administrators and teachers.

The 1950s EC

In the late 1940s and early 1950s EC Ethiopia received a true and genuine assistance in all fields of development Under United States Operation Mission of the Point IV (USOM/Ethiopia). This was when hundreds of Ethiopian young people were shipped to the Universities of the United States and to the American University in Beirut . A great number of them were sent from their jobs for specific training related to their responsibilities to build and/or to upgrade their capacities. The returnees over 99% of them made all the difference in bringing about a far reaching changes and modernization in Ethiopia , including educational operations.

The most important mission of the school is to help each and every child of the school to become all he or she is capable of being.

Beginning 1954 EC Ato Gebre Meskel Kifle Egzi, the far sighted modern Minister of Education of the time, took advantage of those returning educated Ethiopians to first Ethiopianize the administration of the schools. His young cadre accepted and took up the responsibility with enthusiasm and carried it out with a great deal of patriotic devotion, commitment and selfless service. Dr. Lulsegged Alemayyehw is one of these pioneer cadres Ato Gebre Meskel appointed to Medhane Alem School as the first Ethiopian Director replacing Mr Jeofry Last, the last of the series of foreign Administrators. In the four years Dr. Lulsegged led Medhane Alem School he promoted the highest possible qualities of all-round education raising the academic standards and highly motivated aspirations in his students to build themselves for higher and better life as well as their nation. He promoted a school culture and tradition that bound Medhane Alemians together. He believed in giving opportunities to as many young people as could be accommodated in the school. By 1958 EC, the year he left for further education, the number of the students had grown to 3000 which at the time was the largest number in the Empire. Beginning in 1954 EC after he took over the leadership of Medhane Alem he emphasized the promotion of quality education and high standard of student achievement.

He also established standard procedures for school operation setting up modern methods of organization, administration and supervision. The policies and standard of operation he developed for Medhane Alem school are what's practiced in the schools of Ethiopia .

One of the Highlights of the School in those hay days: